Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met with Henry Liu, Head of the CIA Office for East Asia and the Pacific, in his office on Tuesday.
Accompanying Liu to the meeting was the United States Ambassador to Fiji, Marie Damour.
The meeting focused on strengthening Fiji-U.S relations, enhancing regional security, and deepening development cooperation.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Rabuka expressed Fiji’s appreciation to the U.S Government for its long-standing support, particularly in key sectors such as education, fisheries, oceans management, defence, and security.
He welcomed the opportunity to reaffirm the strong diplomatic ties between the two countries and noted the importance of ongoing cooperation amidst recent developments in U.S foreign policy, including executive orders and aid restructuring.
Prime Minister Rabuka raised Fiji’s concerns regarding the growing threat of transnational crimes in the region and highlighted the importance of collaboration between the U.S and Fiji to address these security challenges.
He also acknowledged the invaluable support provided by the U.S Coast Guard in enhancing maritime security and operational capability within Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Further, the Prime Minister affirmed Fiji’s continued support for the United States despite the recent announcement of new U.S tariff policies.
He stated that the Fijian Government remains actively engaged in discussions with the U.S and other international partners to explore ways to manage the implications of such policies and safeguard national interests.
In concluding, PM Rabuka reiterated Fiji’s enduring commitment to its partnership with the United States, grounded in decades of trust, mutual respect, and shared regional goals.
Liu, in his response, thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity to meet and discuss areas for further collaboration with Fiji and across the wider Pacific region.
Greater emphasis were made on the need to reaffirm relations in response to increasing threats in the Pacific with support to be targeted on improving security training, capacity building, maritime domain awareness and protection, fisheries and sea-bed exploitation, addressing increasing transnational crime, narcotics and cyber attack flows in Fiji and the region.
Liu further emphasised the need to better improve the shared intent of people-to-people relations and U.S in working with like-minded countries in promoting leadership in the region.
The meeting underscored Fiji’s strategic approach to balancing its sovereignty with the need for international partnerships to address regional challenges, at the same time, reaffirms further the close and unique relationship Fiji has with the United States of America.
